Door catch



Aprii 29, 1941. B GALUNGER 2,239,956

DOOR CATCH Filed Nov. 8, 1940 INVENTOR.

BY I Patented Apr. 29, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DOOR CATCH HiramB. Gallinger, Superior, Wis. Application November 8, 1940, Serial No.364,855

5 Claims.

This invention relates to door catches and has special reference to thattype usually employed asa closure means for screen or storm doors, orthe like, and which automatically function to hold the door closed afterbeing initially operated by same.

Certain of the objects of the instant invention are simplicity ofconstruction, convenience of assembly-of the various parts of the doorcatch, economy of manufacture, and another object is that of providing anovel combined anchor and bearing saddle for the "pivotal union of theprincipal parts of the catch.

Still other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thefollowing description thereof.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, forming-part of thisapplication, and wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one of the improved catches, illustratedin its partly closed position.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a broken perspective view of the inner end of the arm.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the catch.

Figure 5 is an enlarged end elevation of the combined anchor and bearingsaddle.

Figure 6 is a front elevation of Figure 5.

The general arrangement of the principal bracket and arcuately shapedarm of the device will be more or less general.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the stationary bracket portionof the catch is indicated at I it being provided with a somewhatcloverleaf shaped flanged base 2, through which are suitable holes forthe accommodation of three screws in attaching same to the door trim ofa door to be controlled by the device. 3 represents the arcuately shapedarm or movable member of the catch, which is preferably channel shapedin cross section, having spaced parallel sides, and provided with one ormore openings through the back of same as indicated at 4 and 5. Thismovable holding arm carries at each end and between its sides a rubberroller indicated at 6, and the arm is held biased in either of itsextreme positions by the contractile helical spring I; the doorfunctioning to initially operate the arm in either direction in theusual manner.

In this instance the opening 5 in the back of the arm 3 is made bystriking a somewhat semicircularly shaped member 8 inwardly therefromand providing the same with a suitable hole 9 for engagement by onehooked end of the spring 1, as clearly illustrated, and the otheropening 4 formed in the back of the arm 3 tends to lighten theconstruction of same and permits of ready visibility of the spring 1 inthe event of damage or the like to the spring or other internal portionsof the catch. It will be noted that further lightening of the structureis accomplished by the V-shaped openings l0 above each roller and ateither end of the arm, they being identical The improved pivot-a1support for the bracket and arm, in this instance, is accomplished bythe provision of a novel bearing saddle, shown more clearly in Figures 5and 6.

The central body portion of the saddle-like member is illustrated at Hand is somewhat of crescent shape and provided centrally in one edgewith asuitable notch H in which the opposite end of the spring I ishooked, as clearly illustrated in Figure 5. The uppermost oppositeextremities of this body portion extend laterally and are of generallysemi-cylindrical shape, forming the axis of the saddle, and theoutermost ends of which are stepped or notched as clearly shown inFigure 6, that portion illustrated at 13 being designed to extend withinsimilarly shaped arcuate recesses in the upwardly extending spaced sideportions M of the bracket I. These slots or recesses, being of the sameshape and size of the lugs 13 when the saddle is installed therein,prevents any rotation thereof, and furthermore the end of the lugs l3are designed to be upset or otherwise fixed in any convenient mannerwithin the bracket l thus insuring positive positioning of the saddletherein. A further stepping or notching of the saddle is made as at Hito provide a similar circularly shaped bearing for the arm 3. For suchbearing it is to be noted that the spaced parallel side walls of the arm3 are provided with finger-like members indicated at l6, which areformed in conjunction with a through hole or opening the exact radius ofthe axial arcuate projecting portions of the saddle so that whenpositioned about same they will find their bearing upon that portion ofthe saddle axis indicated at l5, thus providing an adequate, durablebearing for the arm 3.

For convenient installation of these parts, it is to be noted that aslot-like opening is made which forms a space adjacent the termini ofsuch fingers, permitting of most convenient assembly of same.

As previously stated on hooked end of the spring 1 is engaged within thehole 9 of the member 8 of the arm, whereas the other hooked end of thespring is engaged within the notch 12 of the body portion of the saddleand thereby biases the action of the movable arm toward the limit of itsmovement in either direction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is:

1. In a door catch including a stationary and a movable member, eachhaving spaced side walls, a relatively large substantially circularopening in each side of one of said members, a member extendingtransversely of said first mentioned members and having arcuatelydisposed ends extending through said circular openings and adapted tobear against the edges thereof and thereby form a pivotal joint for saidmembers and being fixed in the sides of the other meme ber, and meanswhereby to bias said members toward the limit of their pivotal movementin either direction.

2. In a door catch including a pair of cooperative members each havingspaced side walls, op-

positely disposed substantially circular openings in each side of one ofsaid members, a member extending transversely of said cooperative:members and having arcuately disposed ends extending through saidcircular openings and adapted to bear against the edges thereof andthereby 0 form a pivotal joint for said members and being fixed in thesides of the other cooperative member, and means whereby to bias saidmembers toward the limit of their pivotal movement in either direction.

3. In a door catch including a pair of cooperative members each havingspaced'side walls, a

relatively large substantially circular opening in each side of one ofsaid members, a member extending transversely of said cooperativemembers and having arcuately disposed ends extending through saidcircular openings and adapted to bear against the edges thereof andthereby form a pivotal joint for said members, and being fixed in thesides of the other cooperative member, and means attached at one end tosaid transverse member and atv the other end to one of said cooperativemembers to bias said members toward the limit of their pivotal movementin either direction.

4. A door catch comprising a bracket portion having spaced side walls, atransverse member fixed at its ends in said side walls, arcuate surfacesadjacent the ends of said member, a movable portion having spaced sidewalls, slotted openings having arcuate surfaces corresponding to thearcuate surfaces of said transverse member'in the side walls of saidmovable portion, said movable portion being applicable to saidtransverse member through said slotted openings until said arcuatesurfaces register thereby forming a pivotal joint for said portions, andmeans for biasing said portions toward the limit of their pivotalmovement in either direction.

5. In a door catch comprising a stationary bracket portion and a movableportion each having spaced side walls, a pivotal connection thereforcomprising opposed circular openings in the side walls of the movableportion, and a transverse member having arcuate surfaces extendingthrough said circular openings and being fixed at its ends in thesidewalls of said stationar member.

HIRAM B. GALLINGER.

